St Joseph's Church, Highgate facts for kids
St Joseph's Church, Highgate is a special church for the Catholic Church in London. It's located on Highgate Hill, and it was started by a group called the Passionist Congregation in 1858. This church is so important that it's listed as a grade II listed building, which means it's a historic place.
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A Look Back: The Church's History
St Joseph's Church began in 1858. It was started by a man named Father Ignatius Spencer. He had joined the Passionist Order, a religious group. Father Spencer found a place in Highgate that used to be an old inn. He turned the ground floor into a chapel and the upstairs into living space for his community.
The first church building was put up between 1861 and 1863. But it quickly became too small! So, work started on the bigger, current church in 1888. The new church opened in 1889. It was officially made a church in 1932 after all the building costs were paid off.
The church was designed by an architect named Albert Vicars. He mixed two old styles, Romanesque and Byzantine, to create its look. The most famous part is its green, copper dome. This huge dome weighs about 2000 tons! You can see it from many places across London. Right next to the church is St Joseph’s Retreat, which is where the Passionist community lives.
What's Inside the Church?
As you walk inside, you'll see the Stations of the Cross. These are large painted pictures that show different moments from the story of Jesus. They were put there in 1886.
The Main Altar Area
The main altar area is called the sanctuary. The high altar has a special roof-like cover called a canopy. It's made from beautiful marble from Sicily. The parts around the tabernacle (where the Eucharist is kept) are copies of the first ones from 1861. The floor here is made from rocks found in the River Severn.
There's also a forward altar made of marble and sandstone. It was added in 1964. The paintings on the sanctuary walls were done by C. Langlin.
The Special Chapels
The church has several smaller chapels, each with its own story.
- The chapel on the northeast side is for Passionist saints. It has a painting of St Paul of the Cross.
- The Lady Chapel was built in 1958. Its altar is simple marble, but it has a fancy back wall with mosaics. These mosaics show the Annunciation (when Mary was told she would have Jesus) and the Coronation of Mary. A white marble statue of the Virgin Mary from 1897 is also here. Next to this chapel is a wooden sculpture of St Dominic Barberi.
- The Sacred Heart chapel is on the southeast side.
- In St Michael’s Chapel, the marble railings and fancy altar are thought to have been shown at a big exhibition in Paris in 1889. This chapel remembers Rev. Michael Watts Russell, who passed away in 1875. There's a marble plaque with his picture.
- The Martyrs Chapel has a marble altar and railings. It also has a painting of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.
The Amazing Painted Ceiling
Look up, and you'll see a curved ceiling painted by Nathaniel Westlake in 1891. It's one of his best artworks! There are 250 panels, and each one has an angel holding a scroll. On the scrolls are words from a famous Christian song called the Te Deum.
The Grand Organ
The church has a huge organ with four keyboards! It was built in 1898. It was put in the church after the Second World War to remember the local people who died in the war.
Beautiful Stained Glass
There are three stained glass windows high up on each side wall. The windows on the south side show the Crucifixion (Jesus on the cross). The windows on the north side show the Holy Family. Between these windows are paintings by Westlake that show the Mysteries of the Rosary.
Gallery
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The main altar
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The Lady Chapel
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St Michael’s Chapel
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The Martyrs Chapel
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The Organ
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Part of the painted ceiling
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A closer look at the painted ceiling
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